Removable oven drop door



Aug. 14, 1962 E. D. HILLEBRAND REMOVABLE OVEN DROP DooR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 3l, 19.56

ug- 14, 1952 E. D. HILLEBRAND 3,049,116

REMOVABLE OVEN DROP DOOR Filed Jn. 31, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent 3,049,116 REMOVABLE OVEN DROP DOOR Earl D. Hillebrand, Kankakee, Ill., assigner to Geo. D. Roper Corporation Filed Jan. 31, 1956, Ser. No. 562,418 2 Claims. (Cl. 126-194) The present invention relates to ranges and more particularly to an oven door structure for such ranges.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an oven drop door which may be easily removed from the oven frame so as to facilitate cleaning the oven or broiler interior by a housewife. It is an allied object to provide such a door which may be removed from the oven frame so as to avoid the necessity for a housewife reaching across the open door to clean the back lining of the oven interior. A further allied object of the invention is to provide an oven door structure which may be disengaged from the range frame and placed on a counter-top or a table to facilitate cleaning of the door.

An ancillary object of the invention is to provide a removable oven door structure which is unobtrusive and presents the same smooth exterior appearance as a conventional oven door.

It is another object of the invention to provide an oven door which may be easily removed from and replaced on the range frame by a serviceman if such should be necessary because of damage to the door during transit of the range or otherwise.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a removable oven door structure which is economically manufactured, may be simply assembled on a range, and may be readily replaced once assembled whether the range is on the assembly line or has been placed in a household.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective of a typical range, including an oven door mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation showing the manner in which the oven door is mounted upon the oven frame, the door being shown in the fully closed position.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway enlarged fragmentary front elevation of one side of the door taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2, except that the oven door is shown in a fully open position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective showing the door in an open position preliminary to removal thereof from the oven frame.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation corresponding to the position of the door shown in FIG. 5, showing in phantom outline the positions of the door when removed.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged end elevation showing the details of the hinge means employed for mounting the door, the latter having been removed from the oven frame.

FIG. S is a front elevation of the hinge means shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective of the door locking member employed in practicing the present invention.

While the invention is `described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to such embodiment but rather it is intended to cover all alternative constructions and embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawings, the invention is shown as embodied in a door 10 associated with the oven 12 of a range 14. The door 1t) is adapted to normally close ICC the oven opening formed by the front frame 16 of the range.

The door 10, in its preferred form, comprises outer and inner panels 18, 20, secured together in spaced interiitting relation to provide smooth inner and outer surfaces for the door. These surfaces are usually finished with a coating of vitreous enamel to enhance their appearance and to facilitate cleaning. As shown, the inner panel 20 of the door is provided with a raised portion 20a defining a peripheral ange 22 thereabout, which ange fits tightly against the front frame 16 of the range when the door is closed.

In accordance with the present invention, means for pivotally supporting the door 10 are provided in the form of a pair of novel hinge assemblies 24 which provide for disengagement of the door from the range for cleaning or the like. One hinge assembly supports the left side of the door 10 and the other assembly supports the right side of the door (see FIG. 5). The left and right hinge assemblies are substantially identical and, for convenience in describing the invention, the same numerals have been applied to corresponding parts of the -two assemblies. It may be noted that FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9 show the parts of the assembly 24 which support the side of the door 10 at the right when facing the oven, whereas FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show the parts of the assembly 24 which support the left side of the oven door.

In the present instance each hinge assembly 24 includes a flat, elongated bracket 26 secured within the range frame at 2S, and a iiat arcuate door supporting member 30 -biased to the frame by a counter-balancing spring 32. As will be seen, the bracket 26 extends outwardly in a horizontal direction through the oven opening `and forms at its outer end a depending leg 26a which carries a door pivot 34. Likewise, the door supporting member 30 extends outwardly through the oven opening and forms at its outer end a vertical plate-like extension 30a, also connected at its lower portion to the pivot 34. In this Way the bracket 26 and the `door supporting member 30 cooperate to form pivotable supporting means for the door 10.

Attention may now be given to the means employed for mounting the door 10 on the hinge assemblies 24. From FIGS. 3. and 4 it will be seen that the door is adapted to receive the supporting member 30 in an inner pocket 38 formed along each of the lateral portions of the flange 22 between the outer and inner door panels 18, 20, and accessible through elongated vertical flange slots 36. Thus, each of the door slots "3'6 is of suicient length for insertion therethrough of the supporting member ex tension 30a so that the latter is received in nested position within the pocket 38.

Arranged within the pocket 3:8 is a vertically disposed angle 40 which vis somewhat longer than Ithe slot 36 and has its inner leg rigidly secured to the outside of the inner door panel 20, the inner leg 40a of the angle being arranged adjacent the slot yand extending toward the front of the oven. For nesting lthe upper end of the member 30 within the angle 40, the upper end of tlhe angle leg 40a is provided with a downwardly turned roll portion 42 having a slot 42a adapted to receive 'a pilot tab 44 extending upwardly from the top of the supporting member extension 30a. The tab 44 is thus adaptable to enter the slot 42a and thereby firmly lock the door to the upper end of the member 30.

Manually releasable means are provided within the hinge assembly 24 for mounting the lower end of the supporting member 30 within the door pocket 38. With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 9, it will be observed that such means includes a flat sector-like locking member 46 pivotally mounted at 48 on the outer portion of the member 30 adjacent the door pivot 34.

The member 46 carries on its opposite ends locking and finger tabs 50, 52, respectively, the former being shaped to latch over -a stop 54 positioned within the pocket 38 and rigidly fastened in a lateral direction to the inner angle leg 40a, and the latter serving a purpose to be `described presently. It will be observed that the door supporting member extension 30a is provided at its lower end with an offset 30h to accommodate the locking member 46 to thereby permit latching engagement with the stop S4. The locking member 46 is thus swingable about the pivot 48 between engaged and released positions of the locking tab and stop 50, 54 to impart removability to the door 10. 'Ihe normal position of the door 10 upon the range 14 is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 wherein the pilot tab 44 is received in the slot 42o provided by the angle 40, and the locking member 46 is rotated fully outwardly so that the tab 50 is latched over the stop 54.

F or facilitating removal of the door from the frame 16, the locking member 46 carries the finger tab 52 which comprises a laterally disposed plate ladapted to cooperate upon rotation of the member 46 with a suitable notch S6 provided in the outer portion of the bracket 26. The operation'of the tab and4 notch arrangement 52, 56, will be described now 'in connection with the procedure to be followed in removing the door.

Removal of the door 10 from the range 14 may be easily yaccomplished in the following manner. The door 10 is first opened to ythe horizontal position shown in FIG. 4. This exposes the door slot 36 as well as the locking member 46 and the finger tab 52 carried thereon. The housewife then simply places her nger on the tab 52 and manually rotates the locking member 46 about the pivot 48 until the tab 52 rests against the bracket 26 Iadjacent and just below the notch 56, as shown in phantom in FIG. 4. This releases the locking tab 50 from engagement with ythe stop 54, thus detaching the lower portion of the door from the range proper.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6 with pilot tab 44 still engaged in the slot 42a, the door l10 is swung by the housewife as if it wereV to be closed until the finger tab 52. rides up the edge of the bracket 26 and slips into and engages the notch S6, which engagement serves to lock the door movement and prevent any further closing of the hinge assembly Z4. An upward lifting movement of the door 10 in the direction of the arrows to the successive positions shown in phantom in FIG. 6 will then effect disengagement of the -tab 44 and slot 42a Yso that the entire door may be removed from the range. noted that the'door supporting member 30 and the bracket 26 remain yattached to the range `as viewed in FIG. 7, with the finger ltab 52 being firmly seated in the bracket notch 56 to thus maintain the door supporting member in an upon cooking the door slightly rearwardly, the pilot tab 44 is guided into the `angle slot 42a and the member 30 assumes a nested position Within the pocket 38. Next, the door 10 is lowered to the' horizontal position and the locking member 46 is manually rotated back to the locking position shown in FIG. 4 so that the tab 50- is disposed behind the stop 54 and the oven door is firmly locked in place.

Itwillbe.,

outwardly extending condition kagainst the ybias of the v -counter-balancing spring i312. In such ya condition the hinge assembly Z4 is poised for repositioning of the door thereon.

Replacement of the door upon the range is effected by simply holding the door 10 in the last position shown in phantom in FIG. 6 and moving the door in the reverse direction of the arrows so that the supporting member 30 enters the slot 36 of the door ange l22. Then,

It is one of the features of the invention that the oven door 10 may be quickly and easily removed from the range by la housewife to facilitate cleaning of both the oven interior and the door itself. In the same manner, replacement of the dooi upon the range is simply accomplished in a matter of seconds and the door is firmly locked in place to function as a fully pivotable drop door.

I claim:

1. In a range, the combination comprising a frame deiining -an opening for ian oven or the like, a door for normally closing said opening and having an elongated slot adjacent its edge, a bracket secured to said frame and extending outwardly therefrom, horizontal pivot means disposed on the outward portion of said bracket, a door supporting member extensibly connected at one end to the frame and pivoted at the other end to said pivot means, said door 'supporting member being of iiat, elongated construction arranged for movement through theV slot in said door, said door including means releasably engageable by said supporting member and carrying stop means thereon, and means independent of said pivot means including a manually disengageable locking member mounted on said door supporting member `and'operative to releasably engage said stop means for locking the latter two members together while providing for disengagement thereof to permit bodily removal of the door from the range for cleaning or the like.

2. In a range, the combination comprising a frame defining an opening for an ovenor the like, a door for closing said opening, a bracket secured to said frame and extending outwardly therefrom, a door supporting member pivoted on the extending end of said bracket, interitting means on said door and said member Vfor removably mounting said door on said member, said member being biased to counterbalance the Weight of said door about the members pivot, -a latch pivoted on said member and swingable between avfirst position wherein said interiitting means Iare locked together and a second position which releases said means but blocks said member from pivoting toward the frame under the urging of said bias.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 831,801 Roberts Sept. 25,V 1906 1,000,879 -Amann Aug. 15, 1911 1,051,538 Barcus Ian. 28, 1913 2,378,421 McCormick June 19, 1945 2,541,942 Sherman Feb. 13, 1951 2,592,333 Reeves f Apr. 8, 1952 2,776,655 Ferguson et al. Jan. 8,1957 2,842,117 Berge et al. Julyv 8, 1958 2,873,737 ShermanV Feb. 17, 1959 

